Article: Small businesses respond to U.S. call to counter terrorism.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)

Long before Sept. 11, small companies here and across the nation were at work on a remarkable array of gadgets and strategies to counter terrorists.

Some have been trying to develop electromagnetic beams or "sonic fields" for neutralizing toxic chemicals, blast-proof fabrics to wrap around buildings and orbiting radar for detecting ships carrying weapons of mass destruction.

Others have been seeking ways to spot bombs in luggage, improve gas masks, predict terrorist behavior and protect commercial airplanes from attacks with lasers or electronic jamming devices.

Once these companies had a hard time generating much interest in their ideas, even ...

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